The musical tribute to Lanzarote-born artist César Manrique is set to open its island tour at the Guimerá Theatre in Tenerife from 26 to 28 September, following its successful run in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria between 2019 and 2020. The production, featuring a cast of over 40 performers, will mark the beginning of the 2024-2025 cultural season for the Autonomous Body of Culture of the Tenerife City Council, with support from the Island Council of Tenerife and the Government of the Canary Islands.
Tickets for the performances are already available on the theatre’s website, www.teatroguimera.es, priced between 25 and 35 euros. The producers highlight that this show offers a unique opportunity to be moved by and celebrate the life of one of the Canary Islands’ most renowned artists. The musical stars Mingo Ruano, with the voices of Olga Cerpa and Luis Morera, providing the soundtrack to this emotional and biographical journey through the life of César Manrique.
Supported by the César Manrique Foundation, this production by Mestisay and Clapso, written by Manuel González and directed by Israel Reyes, presents a narrative where passions, desires, frustrations, memories, dances, and songs converge. It paints a portrait of an artist who fiercely defended independent thought, commitment to his homeland, creativity, the symbiosis between nature and art, environmental protection, the fusion of tradition and modernity, and the transformation of nature into a tourist attraction without compromising its essence.
César Manrique at the Guimerá Theatre: LIFE AND ART
The musical explores key moments in Manrique’s life and career, set against the backdrop of specific locations: the Lanzarote of his childhood, post-war Madrid in the 1950s, the vibrant yet oppressive New York of the 1960s, and the unspoiled Lanzarote he returned to in that decade, where he designed his iconic landscape works. It also touches on his friendships in Agaete with figures like Dámaso, Fachico, and others.
Mingo Ruano, in the role of César Manrique, is joined by actors such as Maykol Hernández, Marieme Abdoulaye, and Lucía Viera. Together, they create a theatrical world that seamlessly blends with the music, directed by composer Germán G. Arias, who leads a band. The musical features the voices of Mestisay soloist Olga Cerpa, Taburiente leader Luis Morera, and singer Manuel Estupiñán, making it a rich and immersive tribute to Manrique’s legacy.
